Young people shaping the global agenda

Young people from marginalized and disadvantaged groups often
experience exclusion and disrespect. To ensure the rights of
young people, society must respect and be inclusive of all,
regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, marital status,
ethnic origin, religion, disability or age.

Jeremy (Xa Tấn Chương), is a 20-year-old Vietnamese youth
delegate to the World Conference on Youth 2014. He is currently
studying Business English in Ho Chi Minh City, where he also
works as a Youth Ambassador for the Department of Culture, Sports
and Tourism. Jeremy shared his thoughts on diversity and
inclusion with me.

Jeremy believes that, although Viet Nam has made progress, young
people are not fully aware that different groups exist in
society. “How would you feel if the world consisted of only black
and white colors?” he asked. “It would be very boring. We need a
variety of people to complete a whole picture.”

We discussed some of the issues and challenges that minorities
experience in Vietnam. “In my country, there are about 60 ethnic
minorities who live in mountainous areas,” Jeremy said. “However,
many ethnic minorities do not have access to education. Another
issue is language. They speak their own languages, but Vietnam
has only one official national language. I strongly feel the need
for inclusive policies for these children.”

I asked Jeremy what he thought some of those inclusive policies
should be. “For example, hiring local teachers who understand
students’ language and culture,” he replied. “These ethnic
teachers also need to be given training opportunities or
financial support.”

As a long-term volunteer at a local LGBT program, Jeremy was very
eager to share his view on issues that sexual minorities face.
According to Jeremy, 20 years ago, terms like LGBT or homosexual
did not exist in Viet Nam. “We used a French word, pédé, to refer
to these people. It simply means gay. Many Vietnamese still think
that these people are mentally ill or can be cured,” he
said.

“When I was young, I thought just like them,” Jeremy continued.
“However, as I learned about LGBT communities, I realized that
what I had been told was so wrong.” He now believes that
educating young people is key to changing society.

To make society more tolerant and inclusive, Jeremy believes that
marginalized groups must be given more opportunities to voice
their concerns. “I want the government to be more proactive in
protecting minorities’ rights. I want to see at least one person
from all marginalized groups represented in parliament. That way,
they can deliver a strong, unified voice from their communities,”
he explained.

Year of opportunity

The year 2015 is significant not only for UNICEF and our work,
but also for young people themselves. It marks the start of a new
set of development goals for the UN, and is an opportunity to
include youth in shaping the agenda. Young people make up one
quarter of the world's population, so it is crucial that we
invest in their future. However, many of them are still
struggling against injustice and unequal opportunities, even as I
write this article.

The stories of Marina, Yang and Jeremy that I heard this week
have taught me an invaluable lesson: the only way to help young
people is to listen to them and work with them. We need to
recognize young people as an asset of society and partners in our
work, not just recipients of services, because they are equally
ready to contribute.

Jeremy shared his final thoughts with me: “This interview reminds
me that young people have to overcome many social barriers. But I
do not want to be pessimistic, because we are young, energetic
and have the willpower to challenge and learn from society. We
can be an inspiration for both younger and older generations. I
am confident that we will make positive changes soon.”

The author
Hyunjeong Lee is an education consultant on adolescent
development and participation at UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific

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